Marine Stewardship Council fisheries assessments MUSSEL RAFT CULTURE IN GALICIA (MEJILLÓN DE GALICIA DOP) Public Comment Draft Report MARCH 2021 Conformity Assessment Body (CAB) Bureau Veritas Certification Holding SAS Assessment team Miguel Gaspar, Bert Keus, Ana Rascado, Macarena García Fishery client Consello Regulador Mejillón de Galicia Assessment Type Initial Assessment 1 Contents 1 Contents .......................................................................................................... 2 2 Glossary .......................................................................................................... 6 3 Executive summary ......................................................................................... 7 4 Report details .................................................................................................. 8 4.1 Authorship and peer review details .............................................................. 8 4.2 Version details ........................................................................................... 10 5 Unit(s) of Assessment and Certification and results overview ....................... 10 5.1 Unit(s) of Assessment and Unit(s) of Certification ...................................... 10 5.1.1 Fishery within the scope of the MSC fisheries certification ............................. 10 5.1.2 Units of Assessment ....................................................................................... 11 5.1.3 Units of Certification ....................................................................................... 12 5.1.4 Scope of assessment in relation to enhanced fisheries .................................. 13 5.2 Assessment results overview ..................................................................... 14 5.2.1 Determination, formal conclusion and agreement ........................................... 14 5.2.2 Principle level scores ...................................................................................... 14 5.2.3 Summary of conditions ................................................................................... 15 5.2.4 Recommendations ......................................................................................... 15 6 Traceability and eligibility .............................................................................. 16 6.1 Eligibility date............................................................................................. 16 6.2 Traceability within the fishery ..................................................................... 16 6.3 Eligibility to enter further chains of custody ................................................ 22 6.4 Eligibility of Inseparable or Practicably Inseparable (IPI) stock(s) to enter further chains of custody 23 7 Scoring .......................................................................................................... 23 7.1 Summary of Performance Indicator level scores ........................................ 23 7.2 Principle 1 and overview of the fishery ....................................................... 25 7.2.1 Outline of the target species: Biology, ecology, and life history of mussels ..... 25 7.2.2 History of the fishery: The legal and regulatory framework ............................. 26 MUSSEL RAFT CULTURE IN GALICIA (MEJILLÓN DE GALICIA DOP) –Public Comment Draft Report page 2 7.2.3 Growth of farming and mussel production ...................................................... 27 7.2.4 Status and management of natural mussel beds ............................................ 28 7.2.5 Economic and market information .................................................................. 31 7.2.6 Catch profiles ................................................................................................. 31 7.2.7 Total Allowable Catch (TAC) and catch data .................................................. 31 7.2.8 Application of the MSC scope for the enhanced mussel bivalve fishery .......... 32 7.3 Principle 2 .................................................................................................. 36 7.3.1 Principle 2 background ................................................................................... 36 7.3.2 Principle 2 Performance Indicator scores and rationales ................................ 59 PI 2.1.1 – Primary species outcome......................................................................... 59 PI 2.1.2 – Primary species management strategy .................................................... 61 PI 2.1.3 – Primary species information ..................................................................... 64 PI 2.2.1 – Secondary species outcome .................................................................... 66 PI 2.2.2 – Secondary species management strategy ............................................... 68 PI 2.2.3 – Secondary species information ................................................................ 73 PI 2.3.1 – ETP species outcome .............................................................................. 75 PI 2.3.2 – ETP species management strategy ......................................................... 79 PI 2.3.3 – ETP species information .......................................................................... 82 PI 2.4.1 – Habitats outcome ..................................................................................... 84 PI 2.4.2 – Habitats management strategy ................................................................ 91 PI 2.4.3 – Habitats information ................................................................................. 96 PI 2.5.1 – Ecosystem outcome .............................................................................. 100 PI 2.5.2 – Ecosystem management strategy .......................................................... 106 PI 2.5.3 – Ecosystem information .......................................................................... 109 7.4 Principle 3 ................................................................................................ 112 7.4.1 Principle 3 background ................................................................................. 112 7.4.2 Principle 3 Performance Indicator scores and rationales .............................. 125 PI 3.1.1 – Legal and/or customary framework ........................................................ 125 PI 3.1.2 – Consultation, roles and responsibilities .................................................. 128 PI 3.1.3 – Long term objectives .............................................................................. 132 MUSSEL RAFT CULTURE IN GALICIA (MEJILLÓN DE GALICIA DOP) –Public Comment Draft Report page 3 PI 3.2.1 – Fishery-specific objectives ..................................................................... 135 PI 3.2.2 – Decision-making processes ................................................................... 137 PI 3.2.3 – Compliance and enforcement ................................................................ 143 PI 3.2.4 – Monitoring and management performance evaluation ........................... 148 8 References .................................................................................................. 150 8.1 General References ................................................................................. 150 8.1 Legislation References ............................................................................ 156 9 Appendices ................................................................................................. 159 9.1 Assessment information .......................................................................... 159 9.1.1 Small-scale fisheries .................................................................................... 159 9.2 Evaluation processes and techniques ...................................................... 159 9.2.1 Site visits and stakeholders participation ...................................................... 159 9.2.2 Stakeholder participation .............................................................................. 159 9.2.3 Evaluation techniques .................................................................................. 163 9.3 Peer Review reports ................................................................................ 169 Report from Peer Reviewer A ................................................................................ 169 Report from Peer Reviewer B ................................................................................ 181 9.4 Stakeholder input ..................................................................................... 240 WWF Spain ........................................................................................................... 240 Other stakeholders ................................................................................................ 272 9.5 Conditions ............................................................................................... 300 9.5.1 Condition 1 – PI 2.2.2 SI(e) .......................................................................... 300 9.5.2 Condition 2 – PI 2.2.3 SI(c) .......................................................................... 301 9.5.3 Condition 3 – PI 2.4.2 SI(c) .......................................................................... 302 9.5.4 Condition 4 – PI 2.4.3 SI(c) .......................................................................... 303 9.5.5 Condition 5 – PI 3.2.2 SI(d) .........................................................................